This invention relates in general to vehicle interior consoles, and in particular to a modular overhead console assembly having side wing portions extending from a main console.
Some passenger vehicles include overhead consoles which are attached to the roof of the vehicle. Typically, overhead consoles are centrally located along the longitudinal axis of the roof and extend towards the rear of the vehicle from a front edge of the roof panel, adjacent the windshield. Consoles can be equipped with various displays, controls, and convenience features accessible to the occupants of the vehicle. For example, some consoles include controls for a climate control system, driver information display screens, light modules, and small storage compartments.
Overhead consoles are manufactured in various lengths, depending on the features included in the console. For example, a console having just light modules a driver information display can have a longitudinal length of only about 10 centimeters. Other consoles having more features, such as multiple storage compartments and controls for various systems of the vehicle, can extend into the rear portion of a passenger compartment of the vehicle, behind the front occupant' heads. Generally, the longitudinal length of the consoles is limited to the typical reach of a front occupant. Thus, the number and size of the storage compartments is limited.
Typically, overhead consoles include a single plastic housing extending along the entire length of the console. The housing includes slots or openings formed therein for receiving the controls, displays, or access doors for storage compartments. Generally, a single console is designed for each particular vehicle platform due to the difference in the shapes and sizes of the roof panels. In some vehicle platforms, the overhead console is an optionally purchased feature of the vehicle. Since the overhead console is a singular unit formed from a single housing, the purchaser of the vehicle must elect to buy the entire console, even though the purchaser may only want some of the features built into the console.